GITEGA, July 15 (ABP) – The minister of Environment, Agriculture, and Livestock, Prosper Dodiko, has called on all coffee farmers in the country to provide the necessary information to facilitate the digitalization process aimed at providing reliable data for electronic payments. He made this statement on Thursday, July 10, 2025, during a press briefing held in Gitega, the political capital and center of Burundi.
The minister indicated that the activities of collecting and processing cherry coffee for the 2025-2026 coffee season are ongoing. A collection regulation has also been established and adopted by the depulpers.
He specified that the heads of washing stations and collection centers have received training on digitalization, particularly on using tablets for data collection, with the support of the Strategic Studies Bureau for Development (BESD).
Dodiko emphasized the importance for coffee farmers to provide all the necessary information, noting that this would ensure a fast and secure electronic payment process. He announced that the first payment is expected soon for those who sold their cherry coffee before May 31, 2025, and provided all the required information.
He also reminded the depulpers who have not yet registered the coffee farmers in the tablets to do so promptly, in order to allow for the swift execution of payments.
“We call on coffee farmers who delivered their cherry coffee to the washing stations and have already been registered in the tablets: the lists are displayed at the stations. We ask them to go there starting July 10, 2025, to verify the accuracy of their personal information and the quantities delivered. For those whose data is correct and who have provided a bank account number or Lumicash accounts, payments will be made next week,” the minister clarified.
He emphasized that electronic payment has several advantages: security of funds, speed of payment, and easier access to credit in banks or microfinance institutions.
Regarding complaints about the price of cherry coffee being considered too low, Dodiko stated that the government remains attentive to the concerns of producers. He reminded that since the state’s re-engagement in the coffee sector, the purchase price of cherry coffee has been increased in each campaign.
For the 2025-2026 campaign, the minimum purchase price set by the government is 2800 BIF per kilogram of coffee cherry A, and 1400 BIF for cherry coffee B.
He concluded thanking all the farmers who are investing in increasing agricultural production, in line with the President’s motto: “May every mouth have food and every pocket money.” He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting producers in achieving the goals of the national vision for 2040-2060.
In this regard, an increase in the purchase price of cotton is also planned. This price will be announced very soon.